摘要 |
A electrodeless lamp including a fluorescent discharge vessel, a tip, an amalgam, a lamp core, and a heater. The vessel contains a gas having a partial vapor pressure and a fluorescent material. The tip has an inner end engaging the vessel, and an opening in communication with the gas. The amalgam is positioned within the opening, in heat transfer relation with the tip. When the temperature of the amalgam decreases, mercury vapor in the gas condensates onto the amalgam, causing a decrease in the partial vapor pressure of the gas. The opposite occurs when the amalgam temperature increases. The lamp core generates a magnetic flux, causing an electrical discharge in the gas. The heater includes a positive temperature coefficient connected to a winding of the lamp core. The heater is in heat transfer relation with the tip and heats the tip when the electrodeless lamp is in a dimming mode. |